This invention relates generally to an apparatus and method of manufacturing a constant velocity universal joint housing and, more particularly, to forming a pair of adjacent housings.
Constant velocity universal joint outer race housings typically have been extruded with an integral stub shaft. This is true for almost all fixed and plunge type of constant velocity universal joints with the exceptions being various joints designed for a flange type of connection. U.S. Pat. No. 4,188,803, issued to Otsuka et al. on Feb. 19, 1980, shows a typical single piece outer housing design for a fixed universal joint design. U.S. Pat. No. 4,694,676, issued to O'Brien on Sep. 22, 1987, shows a method of manufacturing a tri-pod universal joint housing having a closure and an attachment shank at one end.
Recent designs of constant velocity universal joints, in particular the fixed joint type, have been developed using a two piece outer joint housing. One piece of the housing is the outer race, the other piece the stub shaft. U.S. Pat. No. 4,116,020, issued to Aucktor et al. on Sep. 26, 1978, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,610,643, issued to Krude on Feb. 19, 1985, are typical examples of the fixed joint type of constant velocity joints designed with a two piece outer housing. Both patents require the open end of the outer housing to face towards the stub shaft thus precluding the manufacture of the complete housing as a one piece unit.
One disadvantage of the two piece outer housing is the added cost to manufacture two extrusions or forgings in order to produce one outer joint housing. The amount of steel in a one piece and a two piece design is nearly identical. The added cost comes from the need to have two extrusions or forgings instead of one.
Accordingly, it is desirous to have an extrusion which produces more than one outer joint housing.